Chapter 227

This canyon is quite large, but the terrain isn't that steep.

All we could see were some jagged peaks in the distance, with no sign of water.

The Shi Wu might be located in a corner of this canyon, right behind the mountain peak, while the water could be on the other side, blocked by the peak.

We walked around the edge, and the moon came out.

Gazing at the round moon hanging in mid‑air, I suddenly realized: 'Oh, today is the fifteenth.'

We happened to reach a protruding rock; Liu Junyan put his arm around me and we sat on the edge, both looking up at the moon.

The moonlight was pure, as if a glossy layer of light had been plated over the whole canyon.

I leaned into Liu Junyan's embrace.

I knew he had been preoccupied all day, his whole demeanor somewhat silent.

During our walk he held my hand.

When we sat down, he put his arm around me.

Sometimes his cheek brushed against my hair, and he would unconsciously rub it.

Is he worried about me?

He fears this might be the last moment of my 'exhausted oil and wick'.

Even I dare to suspect that he is plotting something.

For instance, thinking of ways to prolong my life.

I didn't mention anything, not wanting to break this tranquility and beauty.

I simply leaned obediently in his arms, gazing at the moon, bathing in the breeze, enjoying the canyon's scenery.

The full moon drifted quietly between the clouds, and before we knew it, it hung high above our heads.

At that moment when the moon was high, the light in the canyon seemed to brighten considerably, and faintly I thought I heard the sound of flowing water.

I then sat up straight, puzzled, and asked, 'Āyàn, do you hear that? Is it the sound of flowing water?'

Liu Junyan heard it too; we instantly looked toward the direction of the sound and discovered that, deep in the distant canyon, a river like a white silk ribbon had appeared at some point.

The river ran east‑west, its surface shimmering under the moonlight.

On the opposite bank stood a tall tower.

That tower was tall and large, estimated at twenty to thirty meters high, with a base of similar size, layered tier upon tier, looking majestic and spectacular.

Liu Junyan and I were both stunned; we rose from the rock at the same time and stared at the tower for a good while.

I asked, 'When did this river and tower appear?'

From dusk till now, several hours have passed; with such a long river and such a high tower, if we weren't blind we would have seen them long ago.

But there was none.

Moreover, those few paintings inside the Shi Wu never depicted this river or tower.

What on earth is going on?

Could it be a mirage?

No, the environment here is utterly unsuitable for a mirage.

Liu Junyan said, 'Xiao Jiu, stay here; I'll go take a look.'

I quickly grabbed his hand and said, 'I'm coming with you.'

Liu Junyan didn't refuse; we hurried down the slope.

The canyon was littered with jagged stones, making the trek rough and uneven.

Liu Junyan grabbed my waist in one swift motion and flew with me toward the riverbank.

But when we reached the river's edge, that uneasy feeling intensified.

Because the river had no banks.

It looked as if it were painted onto the canyon floor.

It gave a sense of flow, shimmered under the moonlight, and even produced the sound of running water.

Yet when I cautiously extended a foot to touch the water, it felt like stepping on flat ground.

That sensation was even somewhat uncanny.

And the tower across the river was even stranger.

Liu Junyan brought me leaping over the river, intending to stand before the tower to investigate, but we passed straight through its body and landed farther away.

Liu Junyan refused to believe it, trying three times with the same result.

As we passed through the tower, I even felt a strong surge of airflow.

In other words, the tower might actually exist, but for some reason it has not manifested a physical form.

After all that fuss, as the full moon gradually drifted from its zenith, the light in the canyon instantly dimmed.

At the same moment, the river and the tower vanished completely.

Liu Junyan and I felt as if we had just awakened from a dream, standing in the canyon, unable to regain our senses for a long while.

That night, I don't know how we made our way back to the Shi Wu step by step.

When I slipped into the blankets, Liu Junyan shut the doors and windows tightly, not letting a single breeze in.

The Shi Wu had no electricity; the candle remained lit.

Liu Junyan gently massaged my temples, his fingers infused with true qi: 'It's late, Xiao Jiu; don't think about anything, get a good sleep first; after dawn we'll go ask Empty Silence Abbott.'

My temples grew warm, a wave of drowsiness came over me, I mumbled a couple of times indistinctly, and sank into deep sleep.

At first, I slept very soundly.

I don't know how long I slept, but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my liquefied ribs.

I jolted awake.

But strangely, I seem not to have woken up again.

That feeling was as if my soul was about to leave my body again.

But this time, I didn't see my own soul; instead, I saw that Buddha lamp held in the big Buddha's hand.

I saw the lamp oil of the Buddha lamp run dry; the weak flame on the wick kept burning downward, and flames sprang up throughout the Buddha lamp.

The flames grew larger and redder, burning until the inside and outside of the Buddha lamp were completely red.

So hot!

So painful!

I felt as if my entire chest cavity were on fire—hot and painful, with a dry mouth and tongue.

In agony, I reached to grab my chest, pressing my fingers hard into the inside of the two liquefied ribs, wishing to pull them out and crush them!

Immediately, I felt as if something were wrapping around my hand; I lowered my head and saw that my hand was completely covered in thread‑like things.

They kept wrapping around my hand, then were quickly burned to ash by that flame, turning to powder in an instant.

I also saw the Great Witch's blurry face, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly, like a fish stranded under the scorching sun, on the verge of death.

At that moment, the four words the Empty Silence Abbott had spoken flashed in my mind…… "the oil is exhausted, the lamp wicks dry."

Could it be…… could the target of "the oil is exhausted, the lamp wicks dry" be…… the Great Witch?

If the Great Witch were to have her oil exhausted and lamp wicks dry—in other words, if she were stripped from my soul and vanished—what effect would that have on me?

When I saw the Great Witch's face, my first reaction was fear; I wanted to find any way to tear it away.

But when it truly ran out of oil and wick, I discovered even more uncertainties.

"Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu, what's wrong with you? Wake up, wake up quickly!"

I heard Liu Junyan calling me, and felt him shaking my body desperately, but I just couldn't wake up.

I could only see the Buddha lamp growing redder, the flames rising higher, as if it were about to explode.

I could only see the roots constantly being burned away, the Great Witch's cracked lips and skin, and her face growing ever fainter.

Crack—

With a crisp sound, the Great Witch's face vanished suddenly.

The roots on the two liquefied ribs also disappeared entirely.

The two ribs turned into a puddle of water.

Finally, only the Great Witch's hoarse voice remained, urging: "Return to Cangwu Mountain……"

And there was one more sentence: "Sorry, it was my fault back then……"